Wednesday, May 30, 2007

News of the Day (May 30)

Communist China outlines people not welcome at 2008 Olympics: The cadres have imposed "43 categories, subdivided further into 11 different subcategories" (Clearwisdom, h/t Uyghur American Association) of groups of people who "must be excluded from the Olympics Games and competitions." Of course, even as the regime is trying to prevent whole classes of its own people out of Beijing during the Games, it is determined to keep up appearances: "It is vital to keep this order and all associated activities secrets and not to assign it to others. It is of utmost importance to give the look of an easygoing environment to the outside, but in fact keep a firm handle on all activities."

More on repression in Communist China: Michael Kanellos (CNET, h/t Between Heaven and Earth) reveals the thoroughness of the Communists' internet crackdown: "Type (Falun Gong) in and the computer goes dead. You don't even get links -- the server times out right after you hit enter." Meanwhile, Ju Pan and Zhen Li (Epoch Times) has the latest example of one country, one-and-a-half systems.

Poison scandal just as bad inside Communist China: James Reynolds (BBC) goes to Harbin, and finds that the cadres' horrific lack of concern for peoples' health is not limited to consumers in Panama and the U.S.

Is the Washington Post edging toward support for an Olympic Boycott? The editors singe Communist China for its behavior vis a vis Sudan, and add this very interesting ending to today's lead editorial - "(Communist ambassador Liu Guijin) was obliged to respond to the growing campaign to connect China's support for Sudan to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 'Linking China's approach to the Darfur issue and the Olympic Games is totally untenable,' he protested. And if China uses its veto to stop a new U.N. resolution? Its leaders should be made to wonder what will be 'untenable' then" (emphasis added).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Charles R. Smith (Newsmax) examines the Pentagon report on Communist China's military buildup. The indomitable William Hawkins (Washington Times) takes on the "engagement" crowd on their own turf - and crushes them. Jay Nordlinger highlights Taiwan's strengths (National Review Online).

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

He did it again!

Steve Janke, that is. The man I consider the go-to guy on the Communists' poisoned exports has the latest outrage: toxic puffer fish "mislabeled" as harmless monkfish. Two Chicagoans have fallen ill; thankfully, no one has died, yet.

Janke also slaps up a harrowing description of how the poison in puffer fish (tetrodoxin) can kill:
The first symptom of intoxication is a slight numbness of the lips and tongue, appearing between 20 minutes to three hours after eating poisonous pufferfish. The next symptom is increasing paresthesia in the face and extremities, which may be followed by sensations of lightness or floating. Headache, epigastric pain, nausea, diarrhea, and/or vomiting may occur. Occasionally, some reeling or difficulty in walking may occur. The second stage of the intoxication is increasing paralysis. Many victims are unable to move; even sitting may be difficult. There is increasing respiratory distress. Speech is affected, and the victim usually exhibits dyspnea, cyanosis, and hypotension. Paralysis increases and convulsions, mental impairment, and cardiac arrhythmia may occur. The victim, although completely paralyzed, may be conscious and in some cases completely lucid until shortly before death. Death usually occurs within 4 to 6 hours, with a known range of about 20 minutes to 8 hours.
Janke also excoriates the "engagement" crowd for turning their heads and pretending they don't see (such as our trade officials when Communist Vice Premier Wu Yi paid a visit for trade talks): "I bet these apologists and other useful idiots won't be ordering Chinese monkfish anytime soon" (emphasis added).

News of the Weekend (May 26-29)

Former cadre in charge of food safety sentenced to death: Zheng Xiaoyu, the Communist who formerly ran the the State Food and Drug Administration, "was convicted on charges of taking bribes and of dereliction of duty" (BBC) and sentenced to death. The execution, however, could be "reduced to life on appeal." No such reprieve was granted to the victims of the Communists' poisoned exports, which is leading to more calls to curtail imports from Communist China (Epoch Times and National Post). Meanwhile, the Communists are sticking to their traditional modus operandi: good words (Agence France Presse via Yahoo) undermined by bad deeds (Guardian).

More (plenty more) corruption news: A social security embezzlement scheme is exposed in Ningxia Province (Voice of America via Epoch Times). A high school cheats its own students and sends in armed police to silence them (Epoch Times). The cadres are admitting that over one in five toys is tainted (BBC). Finally, Maureen Fan (Washington Post) lists the reasons why so many in Communist China want government jobs; prominent on the list of benefits: "envelopes of cash."

"Instead, getting the 2008 Games seems to have emboldened China's communist rulers": The editors of the Washington Post detail how Communist China has used the upcoming Olympics to increase their persecutions of internal opposition (the Post editors also rip the cadres' enabling of Sudan's brutality in Darfur). Also noting the reality is Gary Feuerberg (Epoch Times).

More news on human rights abuses in Communist China: The Pan-Blues rip Communist persecution (Epoch Times) and shames their Taiwanese counterparts. The crackdown against Falun Gong may include drugs as weapons (Epoch Times). Wu Renhua has a new book on the Tiananmen massacre (Epoch Times).

Communists rip Sudan sanctions call by President Bush: The cadres had the audacity to insist that "investing in Sudan was a better way to stop the violence" (BBC).

Reaction to the Pentagon report on the Communist military buildup: Naturally, the cadres themselves were not happy (BBC). The editors of the Washington Times sounded the alarm on the Communist buildup, as did Jennifer Chou (Worldwide Standard), and W. Thomas Smith, Jr. (National Review Online - The Tank). Meanwhile, the new commander of American forces in the Pacific noted that the cadres are determined to add aircraft carriers to their arsenal (Washington Times).

More on Communist China and the United States: Jeffrey Birnbaum (Washington Post) profiles Robert Nichols, the lead "engagement" lobbyist in Washington. Irwin M. Stelzer (Daily Standard) reviews the latest U.S.-Communist China trade talks; minus the revelation of a lawsuit against one of the visiting delegates (Epoch Times).

Communist official visits Canada and is greeted with a lawsuit: Bo Xilai, the current Communist Commerce Minister and former governor of Liaoning Province, was served papers for a lawsuit against his brutality in Liaoning by Torontonian Jin Rong (Between Heaven and Earth and Epoch Times).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: The cadres are threatening an agreement to limit production of nuclear weapons fuel that has won support from the United States and Russia (Washington Times). Meanwhile, Chosun Ilbo reports that half of all South Korean firm in Communist China are failing: "An increasing number of owners and employees flee by night because of the difficulty of surviving there."

Beijing surrender news: The latest attempt to appease the Stalinists with the money that was never supposed to be part of the February 13 fiasco continues to go awry (One Free Korea), while South Korea blows hot and cold (BBC and United Press International via Washington Times).

Friday, May 25, 2007

News of the Day (May 25)

Pentagon releases report on Communist military buildup: Among the issues of concern are the "surprising pace of development of a new Jin-class submarine equipped to carry a nuclear ballistic missile with a range of more than 5,000 miles" (Financial Times) and anti-satellite efforts which in three years "will be capable of delivering a knockout blow to many U.S. military satellites" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: David Frum's two-part review on Mao: The Unknown Story on his National Review Online blog edges out Alex Berkofsky's Asia Times piece on Communist China's "soft power."

The Long Arm of Lawlessness: Communist China tries to strong arm Epoch Times advertisers in London; Amnesty International details Singapore's crackdown against Falun Gong (h/t Between Heaven and Earth); and Falun Gong practitioners in America meet with consular officials from Putinist Russia (Epoch Times).

Beijing surrender news: The Network for North Korean Democracy and Human Rights and Freedom calls for human rights to be part of the sic-party talks (Daily NK).

More news from "another China province": The Stalinist regime conducts more test missile launches towards Japan (BBC and Daily Telegraph), while scoring diplomatic points in Nicaragua (Cybercast News), South Korea (United Press International via Washington Times) and with the United Nations (New York Sun, h/t NRO - The Tank). Meanwhile, refugees from northern Korea discuss the candidates in South Korea's presidential election (Daily NK).

One country, one-and-a-half-systems rolls on: Hong Kong political commentator Raymond Y.M. Wong discusses what has happened to his city since the 1997 takeover (Epoch Times); David Edmonds (BBC) examines how corruption followed Communist China into Macao.

Communist China rips democracy and treats political opponents as cultists: Two leading Communist "academics" blasted the notion that the people should replace the Communist Party as the ultimate power in China (Washington Post). Thus it should come as no surprise that the Communists have resorted to claiming members of the anti-Communist Pan-Blue Alliance in China are Falun Gong practitioners, which the Communist equate to Jonestownesque cultists (Epoch Times).

Thursday, May 24, 2007

News of the Day (May 24)

Communist China is more likely to use nuclear weapons against United States: A new report by the the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission says Communist China is shifting from a nuclear deterrent strategy to one that assumes nuclear weapons will be used in any conflict with the United States. Wortzel also notes that the Communists' aggressive nuclear strategy could set off "an unnecessary nuclear conflict" (Defense News), i.e., a massive, hemispheric conflagration.

More on Communist China and the United States: Outside of an agreement for more air flights, trade talks amount to zilch (BBC); American health officials are probing toothpaste imports from Communist China (BBC); Alan Greenspan sounds the alarm on the Communist stock market (BBC); and Martin Walker (United Press International via Washington Times) examines the connections between Communist China's economic policies and its geopolitical objectives.

Communist China lets Burmese junta arrest whomever it wants: Right after the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) "pointedly called on Burma to release the Nobel Peace laureate (Aung San Suu Kyi)" (Washington Post), Communist China pointedly went the other way, insisting the jailing was "an internal matter for Burma's government."

Communist China's crackdown of Korean refugee network driven by Olympics: The Communist regime doesn't want refugees from Stalinist North Korea getting in the way of its propaganda bonanza next summer (Daily NK), so the crackdown on anyone involved in helping the refugees (and of course, the refugees themselves) continues and intensifies.

More news from "another China province": The Stalinists "used political prisoners to help prepare its nuclear test" (One Free Korea), adding a new dimension of outrage to the Beijing surrender (Daily NK comments on the older dimensions). Meanwhile, Kim Jong-il channels his inner Saudi Arabian by banning women on bicycles (Daily NK - read the whole piece for its description of the collapse of northern Korea).

Amnesty International rips Communist China: The Uyghur American Association reprinted AI's report on Communist China's human rights abuses; AI's Australian national campaign manager Gary Reese is pushing local cities and towns "to speak to their Chinese counterparts about breaches of human rights" (Epoch Times); and spokesman Joshua Rubenstein talks to Foreign Policy (h/t Boycott 2008).

More on Communist China and human rights: Several dissidents write International Olympic Committee head Jacques Rogge calling on him "to hold the Beijing Organizing Committee accountable for the lack of human rights progress in China" (Olympic Watch, h/t Boycott 2008); over 140 groups call for the Communists to allow Gao Zhisheng to travel to the U.S. to receive the American Board of Trial Advocates' Courageous Advocacy Award (Epoch Times). Meanwhile, activist Qi Zhiyong is arrested - on his birthday (Epoch Times).

Even the sponsors of Three Gorges Dam are suffering from connection to it: Granted, the lead force behind the monstrosity was Tiananmen butcher Li Peng, so his fall from grace has a sense of justice (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times). Unfortunately, it is not the Chinese people who stand to benefit, but regime leader Hu Jintao.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

News of the Day (May 23)

U.S.-Communist China trade talks under way - without contaminants on the agenda: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson opened the talks by assuring Communist Vice Premier Wu Yi that the United States is "not afraid of the competition" (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Of course, the things of which we should be afraid, namely Communist China's geopolitical objectives (Boycott 2008), human rights violations (Between Heaven and Earth), and last but not least its poisoned exports (Steve Janke and the Washington Post), are not on the agenda.

Communist China goes after Korean refugee support structure: Now anyone involved in helping refugees escape Stalinist North Korea faces arrest (Daily NK).

More news from "another China province": The Beijing surrender takes more hits from Daily NK and John Bolton (One Free Korea); Newsweek's Christian Caryl takes the Stalinists' guided tour; and the regime increases its jamming of anti-Stalinist radio (Daily NK).

Singapore Airlines to buy a piece of China Eastern: The Communists manage to swindle roughly $1 billion out of the foreign airliner (BBC).

Communist China to "encourage," but not mandate, real-name blogging: The cadres have decided not to ban anonymous blogging, but instead use incentives to discourage it in a rare victory for the local netizens (BBC).

Anti-demolition conference held by citizens in Wuhan as residents are crushed in Chongqing: The cadres in Chongqing sent thugs to demolish several homes as part of a land seizure, and all who were not able to escape "were buried alive in the process" (Epoch Times). Nefarious deeds like this led to "an outdoor Human Rights Conference on Hualou Street in Wuhan City on May 20" (Epoch Times) specifically dedicated to battling cadre-ordered demolitions. The meeting was dubbed "the first public human rights conference ever held in China."

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

News of the Day (May 22)

Communist China is lead contaminator of exports to United States: The American Food and Drug Administration "turned back 257 Chinese import shipments, far more than from any other country" (Orlando Sentinel).

Delegation from Communist China in U.S. to talk trade (but not, apparently, contaminants): Contrary to what I wrote yesterday, Communist Chinese trade negotiators are coming to Washington for talks (BBC). Stunningly, no one seems to be interested in ensuring the issue of poisoned exports be on the table; neither Bill Powell (Time) nor James Dorn (National Review Online) seem to think it worthy of consideration.

Refugees sent back to North Korea by Communist China describe Stalinist torture: Twenty Koreans who escaped the Stalinist North revealed the horrific torture of Kim Jong-il's prisons (Globe and Mail). Maddeningly, many of them could have been spared the ordeal completely: "Most of the 20 ex-prisoners had been captured in China and sent back across the border to North Korea after failed attempts to flee the country from 1998 to 2004."

More news from "another China province": NRO's Stanley Kurtz lambastes the Beijing surrender in the Corner; a Freedom House conference discusses the repression in Stalinist North Korea (Daily NK); and Kim Song A (Daily NK) examines how SNK hides the "SN" part abroad.

News on the occupied nations (Tibet and East Turkestan): Communist China rips the Dalai Lama (Between Heaven and Earth and Washington Times); Rebiya Kadeer discussed the Communists' brutal persecution of the Uighurs at MIT (Uyghur Human Rights Project).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Jennifer Chou (Worldwide Standard) examines how the cadres are mixing the military and diplomatic arenas.

Guangxi residents revolt against forced abortions: Forced abortions, nearly $1 million in "social child-raising fees" (International Herald Tribune), and threats to bulldoze the homes of violators are the typical measures Guangxi cadres are using to enforce the hideous "one child" policy. Local residents had enough and revolted against the Communist "gangsters." In one town, "villagers broke through a wall surrounding the government building, ransacked offices, smashed computers and destroyed documents, then set fire to the building itself."

Communist China considers its own citizens "the biggest threat to the Games": The top concern for cadres looking after the 2008 Olympics is the prospect of "mass protests by disaffected Chinese" (Ottawa Citizen, h/t Boycott 2008). Thus the emphasis is on arrests, beatings, and torture - or as the Beijing police chief put it, "harshly penalizing one to teach many a lesson and to frighten many more into submission." Of course, outside Beijing, the cadres are taking it on the chin (Strategic Forecasting via Uyghur American Association).

Communist human rights abuses ripped by outside groups: The Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights (Spectator, h/t BH&E) and Freedom House (Daily News-Record, h/t Boycott 2008) noted the regime's lack of liberty.

Monday, May 21, 2007

On Communist China's poisonous exports

I've been keeping track of the growing horror of Communist China's exports of poison grain products, cough medicine ingredients, and now, toothpaste. I have wondered how long this would take to hit the American political scene. Well, Jim Geraghty at National Review Online has noticed:
The discovery of all kids of toxic, poisonous, and horrific substances in food and related products from China will benefit Duncan Hunter's campaign, as he's been taking the hardest stance on China and foreign imports.

Indeed it will, and indeed it should, since as Geraghty himself noted: "we generally have no idea what is in the stuff we're importing, and the Chinese sure as heck aren't keeping a close eye on it." Duncan Hunter's tough stand on Communist China was the reason I endorsed him in the first place. Now we know it isn't just about foreign policy, human rights, or trade economics; this has literally become a life-and-death issue.

Cross-posted to Bloggers for Hunter

News of the (longer than anticipated) Weekend (May 18-21)

"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is undergoing its worst crisis of confidence since the Tiananmen Square crackdown 18 years ago": Those were the words of Willy Lam (China Brief via Uyghur American Association), in describing the situation faced by the regime and its leader, Hu Jintao, who has rejected every call for political reform in favor of "Maoist-era ideological campaigns to revive the party's fortunes." Lam is not impressed, and neither are several cadres themselves (who have been rebuked by Hu for their efforts to take up Zhao Ziyang's torch). Meanwhile, another party member quits in disgust (Sound of Hope Radio via Epoch Times).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: James Mann didn't use the term Cold War II, but he described it pretty well in the Washington Post. Hugo Restall (Far Eastern Economic Review via Taiwan Security Research) gets an honorable mention for his piece focusing on the East Asia theatre.

Hong Kong's Communist lackeys become Tiananmen deniers: Ma Lik, leader of Hong Kong's pro-Communist political party, channeled his inner Bobby Fletcher, opining that "The crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square was not a massacre and Hong Kong is not ready for universal suffrage because many people are not patriotic enough and do not love the Communist Party" (Asia News). The Tiananmen Mothers group had some harsh words for Ma (Asia News). Meanwhile, the Legislative Council, which is only partially elected and is dominated by lackeys like Ma, shot down an effort to condemn the bloody actions of June 4, 1989 (Asia News). One country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on.

Arrests: Zhou Li, who offered legal help to land seizure victims, was jailed about a week ago (Epoch Times); attorney Guo Feixiong, who has been jailed for weeks, was indicted on Tuesday (Epoch Times); Hao Wenzhong, an appellant (petitioner) who has been jailed 200 times was sent to a labor camp (Epoch Times); Hu Jia and his wife are under house arrest for "endangering national security" (Washington Post).

Organ harvesting news: Toronto doctor Gerry Koffman calls Communist China's organ harvesting policy "a Holocaust" (Epoch Times, see also Between Heaven and Earth); a Taiwanese physician says the Communist "regulations" on transplants are less than meets the eye (Epoch Times).

Communist corruption reaches into racing: The cadres' Formula One track chief and two assistants are bounced for thievery (BBC).

Bird flu is back: The cadres are admitting to an outbreak in Yiyang, Hunan (BBC); obviously, we have no idea what other areas are suffering in Communist-imposed silence.

Even Li Ka-Shing thinks the Communist stock market is in trouble, and when the leading pro-Communist tycoon says to be worried, don't walk - run, and take your money with you (Taiwan Central News Agency via Epoch Times).

Communist China to launch moon orbiter this year: The cadres' announcement is part of their plan to put a taikonaut on the moon in fifteen years (Washington Times).

Communists impose blackout on construction disaster: The Beijing site has seen "many ambulances, fire trucks and more than ten police vehicles" (Epoch Times), but no one from the press is allowed to see it.

Yet another land seizure: This one takes place in Hangzhou, Zhejiang (Epoch Times).

On the state of the workers in the workers' state: Heide B. Malhotra (Epoch Times) examines the plight of migrant workers.

East Turkestan news: As leading Uighurs meet in The Hague (UAA), Communist China prepares its military to crush any move to restoring independence in the occupied nation (China Brief via UAA).

Communist China not reacting well to Olympic critics: Communist Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi insisted the efforts of a "handful of people" (BBC) to organize a boycott of the Games "will fall," but that isn't stopping us from trying (Boycott 2008, Epoch Times, and Washington Times).

Now Communist poison has tainted toothpaste: The same poison that turned cough medicine into a deadly killer has been found in Communist exports of toothpaste, leading Small Dead Animals to make a blunt yet necessary request - "Close the borders to this stuff. Now, please." Of course, the foodstuff poisons are still reverberating (International Herald Tribune, Steve Janke, and Washington Post via UAA).

Japan's effort to bolster its defense blocked by pro-"engagement" Americans: Japan has requested fifty F-22 jet fighter-bombers from the United States, however, the arms sales is being blocked by "Pro-China officials in the White House and Pentagon" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times). The lead obstacle is none other than Dennis Wilder, who has a history of making moves in favor of "engagement" and hoping no one notices.

Communists plan missiles "to hit US warships in Asia": The cadres want "an infrared detection system for its medium-range Dongfeng-21 missiles so they can pinpoint warships" (Agence France Presse via TSR) - in particular America carrier.

More on Communist China and the United States: Paul Heer, a "China specialist" (Washington Times) at the CIA, move up to the National Intelligence Council (United Press Int'l via Washington Times) - given the CIA record on Communist China, the jury is certainly out on Mr. Heer. Meanwhile, American union leaders visit Beijing's "union" cadres (BBC); Coca-Cola sees no evil (BBC); and Communist China nudges its currency as American negotiators arrive (BBC and Washington Post via MSNBC).

The Canada file: Protesters in Queen's Park call for an end to Communist rule in China (Toronto Sun); Paul Jackosn (Calgary Sun) approves of Foreign Minister Peter MacKay's support for Taiwan; Vancouver's battle with a Falun Gong demonstration continues (Epoch Times); and Cyril Doll (Western Standard) sounds the alarm on Communist China's attempted infiltration into Saskatchewan's rare-earth metal stash (full disclosure: yours truly is quoted in the piece).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Taiwan accuses Communist China of buying off Senegal (AFP via TSR); Communist China and Kazakhstan's efforts at rapprochement get all wet, literally (China Brief via UAA); the Communist regime buys a 10% stake in Blackstone (BBC); concern over Rupert Murdoch, Communist China, and the Wall Street Journal grows (Boycott 2008); a Communist container conducts a naval hit-and-run with a South Korean ship (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times); and the cadres squeeze their Stalinist North Korean allies to cut out the drug trade - in Communist China (Daily NK).

Beijing surrender news: California Congressman Ed Royce rips the "deal" (Washington Times); One Free Korea notes and approves (of Royce). U.S. envoy Christopher Hill may soon visit Stalinist North Korea again (Washington Times); South Korea is, well, South Korea (Daily NK and UPI via Washington Times).

Welcome, Curry Kenworthy

Given that I was unable to slap up a post on Friday, it will be a while before I can process all the news for the weekend post. In the meantime, allow me to introduce the newest contributor to the China e-Lobby Blog: Curry Kenworthy. Curry's only been in the blogosphere a few months, but we've been working together since our former involvement in the China Support Network. He's building up a new China Freedom Network, and yours truly is looking forward to seeing that bloom. It is a real honor to have him on board here, and I'm sure you will be as impressed with him as I am.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

News of the Day (May 17)

Hong Kong looks to restrict the Bible: One country, one-and-a-half systems rolls on (Fox News).

Gao Zhisheng hopes to see the United States: The human rights attorney told activist Hu Jia he would like to accept an award from the American Board of Trial Advocates in person (Epoch Times).

Appellant sent to labor camp for visiting Russian consulate: Zhao (as she calls herself) was in Beijing to petition the national regime in reaction to her firing in Shenzhen. She took some time to see Russian President Vladimir Putin leave the city. Communist police arrested her, beat her, and sentenced her to a labor camp for one year (Epoch Times).

Olympic news: Communist China's human rights abuses continue to get worse - in stark contrast to promises that it would improve - but the cadres are only concerned about Beijing smog (Boycott 2008). Meanwhile, some 25 villages are being demolished to make way for Olympic construction (Boycott 2008).

On corruption in Communist China: John Carey (Op/Ed News, h/t Boycott 2008) provides details and examples of the perfidy that pervades the Communist regime; He Qinglian (Huaxia Dianzi Bao via Epoch Times) examines how said perfidy created the tainted food fiasco.

The long arm of lawlessness reaches Indonesia, and Sound of Hope Radio is the victim (via Epoch Times).

Beijing surrender news: The United States may have secured a bank to enable the Stalinists to get the $25 million that was never supposed to be part of the February "agreement" (Washington Post). Meanwhile, dovish South Korea continues to stick its head in the sand (BBC, CNN, and Daily NK).

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

News of the Day (May 16)

Duncan Hunter sounds the alarm on Communist threat: He who must be President spoke on the subject during last night's Republican presidential debate (Bloggers for Hunter).

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Ellen Bork of the American Enterprise Institute explains and then completely demolishes the "engagement" rationale (Front Page Mag).

Wall Street Journal's Beijing office opposes Murdoch takeover bid: The newsroom "had written a letter to the Dow Jones board expressing fear that under Mr Murdoch's leadership writers would be pressured to soften their reporting on China" (London Telegraph). They join a growing number of critics concerned over the fate of the Journal's coverage on the Communist regime should Murdoch gain control.

Communist China calls its foray into Africa "for the benefit of the African people": Communist Premier Wen Jiabao made this statement during a meeting of the African Development Bank, which just happened to take place in Shanghai (BBC). Among the banks advisers is none other than former Canadian Prime Minister and leading "engagement" supporter Paul Martin (Globe and Mail).

Other Canadian news: A group of Falun Gong practitioners in Ottawa protested outside the Russian Embassy in reaction to the Putinist regime's deportation of Gao Chunman (Epoch Times).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Australia's Deputy Prime Minister calls on the Communist regime to curb its greenhouse gas emissions (AAP via Epoch Times), while the country's opposition leader plans a meeting with the Dalai Lama (AAP via Epoch Times). A meeting of European activist groups discusses Communist China's human rights abuses as the 2008 Olympics approach (Epoch Times). Alfred Tella discusses the damage done by Communist China's counterfeit exports (Washington Times).

Beijing surrender news: The United States is making clear no aid will come to the Stalinists unless they make good on their vague promises in the February "agreement" (United Press International via Washington Times); sadly, dovish South Korea has no such concerns (UPI via Washington Times).

More news from "another China province": Richard Halloran (Washington Times) details the decay of the Stalinist regime (don't be confused by the title; there is actually little discussion of SNK "dissent").

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

News of the (longer than anticipated) Weekend (May 12-15)

Human rights activists give Communist China three months to avoid boycott call: David Matas and David Kilgour are calling for "(a)n international boycott of the Olympics . . . on August 8 this year if human rights in China do not improve" (Epoch Times, h/t Makina at Boycott 2008). The call come amid a growing number of pundits linking the Communist Olympics to the regime's alliance with the blood-thirsty Sudanese dictatorship (Boycott 2008); even Olympic "artistic advisor" (BBC) Steven Spielberg is asking the Communists to change course on Sudan. Meanwhile, the Communists invited President Bush to the Games (Boycott 2008), and Tibetans are planning an alternative Olympics (Boycott 2008).

Taiwan gets new PM and same old rejection from World Health Organization: Chang Chun-hsiung was tapped by President Chen Shui-bian to replace Su Tseng-chang, who guit after losing the Democratic Progressive nomination for President in next year's election (BBC); one of the first events of Chang's tenure was a series of military exercises (BBC). Meanwhile, the island democracy was shunned by the World Health Organization once more (Washington Times).

Russia apparently deports Falun Gong practitioner: If true, it is another example of the Putinist regime making its Communist arms buyers happy (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth).

Chirac embarrasses his nation one last time: Just before Jacques Chirac retired as President of France, his nation handed the Légion d'Honneur award to Long Xinming, the cadre tasked with cracking down on independent media (huaxiabao via Epoch Times).

Commander of U.S. Pacific forces wants more military ties with Communist China: Admiral Timothy J. Keating announced the bone-headed policy while in Communist China itself (Washington Post).

Italy's fashions stolen by hackers in Communist China: The goal of the thieves is "to steal fashion ideas and counterfeit them before the genuine articles can hit the streets" (Washington Times).

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: Concerns at the Wall Street Journal abound at the possibility that Rupert Murdoch will bend its coverage of Communist China to fit his "engagement" mindset (BH&E). A New York State Assemblyman rips Communist human rights abuses (Epoch Times). EU-Communist China talks are ripped by the European Parliament's Vice President (Epoch Times). Germany's Parliament calls for the closure of Communist China's labor camps (BH&E). Australia's Foreign Affairs critic clarifies earlier remarks about the U.S. and Communist China (AAP via Epoch Times). A Nigerian satellite gets a Communist missile boost (BBC). The Tibetan Aid Project works to preserve Tibetan culture (Epoch Times).

Beijing surrender news: The desperate attempt of the United States to appease Stalinist North Korea (for analysis, see Daily NK, Daily NK again, UPI via Washington Times) has led to this observation by One Free Korea: "here’s something I though I’d never see: U.S. government officials more-or-less openly engaging in a conspiracy that would land anyone else in a federal prison for international money laundering." Luckily for OFK, he's not alone (see also Daily NK).

More news from "another China province": A defector talks to Daily NK about the Stalinist prison system. A refugee hiding in Communist China proper discusses the "military-first" policy in SNK (Daily NK).

Gao Zhisheng is in "fragile" health: That is the account of activist Hu Jia, who was able to meet with the human rights lawyer earlier this month (Radio Free Asia via Epoch Times).

More mainland "pan-blues" persecuted by the Communists: Unlike the Taiwanese "pan-blues" - for whom "pan-red" might be more appropriate - the Pan-Blue Alliance on the mainland has remained anti-Communist (Epoch Times).

Yet another land seizure, this one affected 2,000 people in Jiangcun Village (Hangzhou, Zhejiang - Epoch Times).

Communists hope Confucius will keep them in power as a counter to the spreading of anti-Communist spirituality and faith (Boycott 2008).

Is Huang Ju dead? Jennifer Chou of the (Worldwide Standard) has more speculation about the fate of the PSC member and high-ranking member of the Jiang Zemin/Zeng Qinghong faction.

Friday, May 11, 2007

News of the Day(s) (March 10-11)

Jury convicts Communist spy: Chi Mak, arrested over a year and a half ago when the FBI busted his spy ring, was convicted of "conspiring to export sensitive defence technology to China" (BBC) and "failing to register as a Chinese agent" (Bill Gertz, Washington Times).

Marine General OK with Communist military ties in Southeast Asia; Tkacik knows better: Lieutenant General John Goodman, who commands the Marine forces in the Pacific theatre, called the closer military relations between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations a "positive overture" (Washington Times). John J. Tkacik provides an antidote to this nonsense (Washington Times).

Ontario "slush fund" includes money sent to pro-Communist group: More people in Canada are paying attention to a series of grants handed out by Ontario's provincial government to several politically-connected minority groups. One in particular is a $250,000 grant to the Chinese Professionals Association of Canada (CPAC), whose leading members have a history of pro-Communist political stands (Epoch Times, h/t Between Heaven and Earth). One of the "former" board members of CPAC (no one is quite sure when he quit - Toronto Star) just happens to be a "policy adviser" to Immigration Minister Michael Cole, whose ministry handed out the cash. The Liberal government - up for re-election in five months - just gave the green light to an outside investigation after days of stonewalling (Toronto Star).

More on Communist China and Canada: The Communists are furious with MPs visiting the island democracy of Taiwan (Globe and Mail); the MPs are in all parties are looking for tougher action against the Communists' abysmal human-rights record (G&M).

Olympic whispers spur Communist China to put Darfur on the agenda: Communist China is "appointing a special representative for African affairs whose first task will be to focus on the Darfur crisis" (London Times). The sudden appointment comes amid mounting criticism of the Communists' special relationship with the enablers of the slow-motion genocide there - the Sudanese regime (BBC). A new front on the criticism opened up in the National Basketball Association (led by Cleveland Cavalier Iraq Newble), the main source of future Olympic players from several nations (Boycott 2008).

Taiwan news: President Chen Shui-bian rips the World Health Organization for freezing out the island democracy (Washington Post). Meanwhile, Yangguang Renshi (Epoch Times) calls for Taiwan to lead a Ask boycott of the 2008 Beijing Olympiad.

More on Communist China and the rest of the world: The Communist trade surplus surges again (BBC); John C K Daly (ISN Security Watch) examines Communist China's charm offensive in Africa.

Beijing surrender news: South Korea tries to create a new international group without the strongest anti-Pyongyang participant - Japan (United Press Int'l via Washington Times). Meanwhile, the U.S. is still trying to resolve the issue of the $25 million that was never supposed to be part of the denuclearization talks (Washington Times).

More news from "another China province": Stalinist North Korea OKs cross-DMZ trains with the South (BBC). The Stalinist regime mkaes Freedom House's list of "the most repressive countries in the world" (UPI via Washington Times). SNK continued to build ties to the the Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran (IRNA, h/t NRO - The Corner), which is also busy aiding terrorist killing Americans (Weekly Standard) and imprisoning an American (Macleans).

"They both looked at me and laughed": That was the reaction to a reporter who asked a Shanghai couple she interviewed for their names (Time).

Skype admits to letting Communist China "filter" text massages: The head of the firm had the audactity to claim it was "no different from obeying rules governing business in western countries" (BH&E).

Stocks in Communist China headed for a fall: So says the investment firm Golden Sachs (BBC).

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Back at the homestead today

Blogging may be more spotty over the next week, as the in-laws are in town and life becomes a bigger juggling act. I'm getting the house ready for their arrival today. With any luck I can slap up a post this evening. We shall see.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Calling One Free Korea, calling One Free Korea

South Korea is asking for a flag seized by the U.S. Marines during a brief skirmish in 1871 (Baltimore Sun). It is the latest flap between South Korea and the United States, driven in large part by a South Korean "nationalism" that only seems to go in one direction (as I noted earlier in this Epoch Times column).

What really struck me, however, was the comments of Thomas Duvernay, a Handong Global University (Phoang, South Korea) Professor (emphasis added): "Here's an object that would be of great value here in Korea, and South Korea is probably the United States' best friend in Asia."

This fellow practically begs for a put down by fellow CFBA Member One Free Korea.

News of the Day (the real May 9)

Yikes! I humbly apologize for yesterday's date error.

Communist "gluten" was actually flour; poison hits fish industry: It turns out the Communist food exporters who sent poisoned wheat "gluten" to the United States didn't send gluten at all, but rather "cheap, unprocessed, low-protein flour" (Washington Post) with the toxic melamine added to give "false high-protein readings." Making matters worse, "some of that contaminated flour, mislabeled as gluten, was mixed into fish food in Canada and exported to the United States, where it was fed to fish raised for human consumption."

Former drug chief to be tried for corruption: Zheng Xiaoyu lost his job as head of Communist China's Food and Drug Administration two years ago. Yet remarkably, the cadres are putting him on trial just after the antifreeze-as-cough-medicine fiasco became front-page news (BBC).

The long arm of lawlessness exposed: Macleans has an absolute must-read piece on Communist China's espionage network in Canada, and how it is used to intimidate Chinese-Canadians into silence.

Enlightened Comment of the Day: Robert Samuelson explains Communist China's trade policies and why they are dangerous - "It is not 'protectionist' (I am a long-standing free-trader) to complain about policies that are predatory; China's are just that" (Washington Post).

ECOD runner-up: Rosa Davis' rhetorical takedown of Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams whitewash of Communist religious persecution is also a must-read (Guardian, h/t Between Heaven and Earth).

Communist China sends military engineers to "peacekeeping" force in Darfur: The regime that has blocked any serious international effort to confront the slow-motion genocide will take part in the force that has done nothing to stop it (Washington Post).

Battle over electoral commission gets physical in Taiwanese legislature: With legislative and presidential elections coming up within a year, the shape of the electoral commission - and the issue of who controls it - is a big deal. Whether it's this big a deal (BBC and Washington Post) is an open question.

Tibetans forced to give up their homes for "socialist villages": In a move straight out of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Backward, Communist China "has relocated some 250,000 Tibetans - nearly one-tenth of the population - from scattered rural hamlets to new 'socialist villages,' ordering them to build new housing largely at their own expense and without their consent" (Real Cities). The cadres' goal is, as one would expect, "to have firmer political control over its population."

Communist China unhappy with critics of its religious persecution: The cadres accused the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom of taking "potshots" at them (BH&E).

Falun Gong death toll at 21 in 2007, and the year is only four moths old (Epoch Times).

Vegetable vendor complains about manager - and is sent to a mental hospital: The local officials who investigated her claims of arbitrary charges by the booth manager "seemed more interested in going out to lunch with the manager" (Epoch Times). The cadres beat up her husband for good measure.

More on Communist China's abuses of human rights: The Chinese Human Rights Defenders release their monthly report (h/t Uyghur American Association). Wei Jingsheng discusses life without freedom in China (Epoch Times).

Huang Ju dies - we think: The London Times is reporting that Haung Ju, deputy premier and Politburo Standing Committee member, has died. Communist China denies this, but the Times is standing by its story.

Ten percent of Communist farm land is contaminated, and that's by the Communists' own admission (Taiwan Central News Agency via Epoch Times). As a result, "approximately 12 million tons of grain produced each year contain heavy metals." How long until that ends up in our pet food and animal feed?

"In 84 days, North Korea has done nothing but extract concessions from the United States": The editors of the Washington Post are souring on the Beijing surrender; sadly, dovish South Korea is not (United Press International via Washington Times).

More news from "another China province": Students in South Korea are bringing the truth to the suffering people in the Stalinist North via short-wave radio. Daily NK has the details.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

News of the day (May 9)

Communist China caught selling weapons to Sudan: Amnesty International has released a report revealing that Communist China has sold the Sudanese regime "weapons (which) end up in the hands of the government-backed Janjaweed militia" (BBC) - the militia that is chiefly responsible for the slow-motion genocide in Darfur. The Communists, naturally, deny this.

Frank Hsieh to become DPP candidate for President of Taiwan: The former Prime Minister and former Mayor of Kaohsiung easily won the popular primary, and all other candidates (including yours truly's favorite - Vice President Annette Lu) have withdrawn before the second, convention-like, phase (BBC). While Hsieh is more low-key and "moderate" than outgoing President Chen Shui-bian, leading Taiwan defender John Tkacik thinks him "a very able man" (Washington Times), which should count for something. He will face Kuomintang nominee Ma Ying-jeou next spring.

Taiwanese official drops hint of possible Olympic boycott: The fact that the folks on the island democracy are considering it is encouraging (Boycott 2008), but the ultimate decision is likely in the hands of whomever succeeds Chen.

Communist China looking to rope the rest of the world into its web crackdown, again: Retired Communist General Xiong Guangkai, currently head of the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, is rehashing an old Communist plan to convince the rest of the world to "ensure information security" (Worldwide Standard). In effect, he's asking the rest of the world to accept and emulate Communist China's crackdown against its own internet users.

Behind the face the Communist regime presents to the rest of the world: A very interesting trio of pieces reveal how the regime lies to the rest of the world about what goes on in the areas under its control. Eric Baculinao (MSNBC) focuses on the new methods the cadres use to corral the press; Gary Feuerberg (Epoch Times) details the ruse on political freedoms; and Daniel Griffiths (BBC) details the "mixed messages" on the environment.

Communist China's abuse of North Korean refugees continues: Several women who escaped northern Korea told Daily NK about the horrors they faced in Communist China, including being forced into sexual slavery. Meanwhile, one of the Koreans who had done his utmost to help the refugees - Reverend Kim Dong Shik - is believed to be dead at the hands of the Stalinists (Daily NK).

Beijing surrender news: One Free Korea examines the resignation of Victor Cha; Daily NK calls on the Bush Administration to stop pandering to Stalinist North Korea.

More news from "another China province": SNK is about to export booze to the United States; One Free Korea is not pleased. Daily NK tracks Stalinist-in-chief Kim Jong-il's visits to military bases. The mullahcracy of Iran welcomes a North Korean delegation (IRNA).

Speaking of the Communist-backed mullahcracy of Iran: Bing West, embedded reporter in Iraq, reminds us that the Tehran regime is "in essence waging a proxy war against the US" in Iraq (Worldwide Standard).